Automatic car-brake



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. V. ROTE.

AUTOMATIC GAR BRAKE.

Patented May 12, 1885-.

WITNESSES Attorney N, FETER$ Phnw-Lilhogmphar. Washington. 1: c,

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.. O. V. ROTE.

AUTOMATIC GAR BRAKE.

Patented May 12, 1885.

(No Model.) 3 ShetsShee-t 3.

- C. V. RUTH.

AUTOMATIC GAR BRAKE.

JJVVENTOR rrnn ST T P TEN Fries.

AUTOMATIC CAR-BRAKE.

EPECEFIGATIQH rorming part of Letters Patent No. 317,954, dated May 12., 1885.

Application filed December 26, 1884. (No model.) v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES V. Born, of Lancaster, county of Lancaster, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Car-Brakes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain details of improvement upon the automatic brake described in Letters Patent dated March 20, 1888, No. 27 4,389; and it consistsin a novel arrangement, in connection with the cam-lever and with the pivoted dog on the draw-head, of the spring operating to hold the cam-lever in position to be caught and held by the gravitystop for causing'it to act upon the dog.

It further consists in the combination, with scmi-annularly-armed levers which are acted upon by the jointed levers on the axle for raising the gravity-stop, of a single elbow-lever interposed between said seini-annularly-armed levers and the gravity stop or pin; in a novel manner of supporting the semi-annularly' armed levers from the truck-frame timbers, whereby they are upheld in substantially uniform relation to the axle, while permitting the yielding of the truck-frame to concussion or.

added weight; in a novel construction of the gravity stop or pin, whereby its withdrawal and the release of the brake-setting mechanism is facilitated, and in certain other details of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter specifically described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a car-truck with my improvements applied; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section through a portion of the truck; Fig. 3, a plan view of the same with parts broken away; Figs. 4 and 5, detail views of the cam-lever and spring; Figs. 6, 7, and 8, similar views showing modifications in the form of the gravity-stop lever; Fig. 9, a perspective View showing the manner of connecting the gravity stop or pin with its lifting-lever; Fig.

'* l0,"detai1 views of the gravity stop or pin;

and Figs. 11, 12, and 13, details views of the bracket supporting the semi-annularly-armed levers.

The brake-actuating mechanism is similarin its general arrangement of parts or organization to that described in my former patent referred to, and will therefore be described in detail only so far as is necessary to an understanding of my present improvements.

The truck, as also the brake mechanism proper, may be of any usual or preferred construction, thosein use being ordinarily composed of two parts, one of which is arranged to maintain a fixed relation to the axles, while the other is adapted to yield to concussions for relieving the car from the jolting action of the wheels, and to the varying superimposed weight thereon. It will be sufficient for the purpose of describing this invention to say that A represents a transverse bar of the fixed or unyielding portion, which is directly connected with the axles and maintains a fixed relation thereto, and A a similar bar or bol ster upholding the car-body, and having a yielding or spring connection with the rigid portion or truck-frame proper. To the bar A are rigidly secured the lower inner ends of two arms or bars, a and a, which converge outwardly and upwardly toward the end of the truck or car, and have their outer ends united in a block or casting, B, having sockets for their reception, and also for the outer end of a third arm or bar, a which at its inner end is connected by a transverse bolt or pin at o with a block or casting, B, adapted to slide in a vertical way or groove in a block, B secured to the transverse bar A, or rather to allow said grooved block B to slide up and down on the block B, as said bar or bolster. A rises or falls under the action of the load or of concussion. The block B and the block B through which the arm a is secured to the transverse bar A, are rigidly connected with each other by means of an upright, a in such manner that while the bolster or cross-bar A moves up or down under the action of the load upon it, the block B and arm a connected therewith and serving to brace and steady the arms a and a, are held in fixed relation tov the latter.

The levers K and K, the semi-annular arms of which surround the axle and are adapted to be acted upon by the levers P thereon, are journaled in a sleeve, 1), of the block or casting-B and through the compound supportingbracket described, consisting of the arms a, a, a and a and their connections withthe bars A and A, as'described. Said semi-annularlyarmed levers are upheld in uniform relation to the axle and to the jointed levers thereon.

The semi-annularly-armed levers K K, instead of having arms extending horizontally from apoint at or near their pivotal support, as in my former patent referred to, have their arms k k made to form curved extensions of the upper ends of the semi-annularlyportions, as shown, this construction causing their free ends to droop, as shown, and permitting the use of longer links or chains j and j between them and the gravity-stop lever than where the straight arms are employed, thereby giv-. ing greater freedom of movement in turning curves, In the patent referred to two levers are employed, interposed between the semi-annularly-armed levers and the gravity stop or pin 1 By curving the horizontal arms of the levers K and K, as explained, and lengthening the links or chainsj and j, as explained, I am ena-' bled to connect both arms through said links to a single elbow-lever, I, for raising the gravity stop or pin, as shown in Fig. 6. The end of the lever I connecting with the arms K and B. of the semi-annularly-armed levers may, however, if desired, be forked, the arms I and I of the fork extending either from the ends of elongated pivots, as shownin Fig. 7, or from a cross-he'ad,'l at the outer end of the arm 1, as shown in Fig. 8, this arrangement serving to'give a more direct action on the lever than where a single arm only is used with the obliquely-arranged connecting links or chains,

as shown in Fig. 6;

Where a single lever is employed for connecting the semi-annularly-armed levers with the gravity stop or pin 1 the latter may be provided with a vertical slot, 2', as shown in Fig. 10, and the lever-arm connecting therewith may pass through and play or slide in said slot for allowing the pin to rise and fall vertically, and by curving the portion of the lever passing through said slot to conformto.

the varying height of the pin, as shown at z" in Fig. 9, the slot need be made onlyof just sufficient length to allow the endof the lever to slide freely through it, thereby preventing relative play or lost motion, and consequent rattling of the pin and lever under any adj ustmentof the pin. The pin or stop I is arranged to slide in a slotted vertical sleeve or case, G, which serves to connect the cam-lever steadying-bar H with a supporting-bracket, H.

The pin 1 is beveled at its lower end or point, at i, on the side adjacent to the cam-1ever E, when then the latter is in position to apply the brakes, for the purpose of relieving it, as far as practicable, from the frictional resistance of the lever to its withdrawal when the pin is acted upon for releasing said lever and relieving the brakes. For the purpose of relieving the pin from the hammering action and noise due to the fall by its own gravity combined with that of the superior weight of the long arm of the lever I, a spiral or other suitable form of spring, h, is interposed between its head and the support H, said spring serving to cushion the fall of the pin and to prevent noise and the rapid destruction of the pin and its support that'would otherwise result from the use of a necessarily heavy pin.

The cam-lever in the construction shown and described in my former patent referred to, was arranged on the opposite side of the vertical plane of movement of the draw-head from the jointed levers on the axle, and was moved toward said jointed levers to set the brake mechanism. In the present construction both the cam-lever and the jointed axle-levers are shown arranged on the same side of the drawbar, and the cam-lever, when set to cause the brakesto be actuated, extends obliquely across the vertical longitudinal plane of movement of the draw-bar toward the opposite end of the axle to that to which the jointed and weighted levers P are attached, the movement of the cam-lever into position to set the brake-actuating mechanism being away from instead of toward the jointed levers. This arrangement locates the gravity-stop at the end of the outward throw of the cam-lever away from the jointed levers, and permits the use of a longer gravity-stop lever than could otherwise be used, thereby facilitating the lifting of said stop. In the patent referred to, also, the plate or bar H for steadying the movements of the cam-lever was made in curved form, conforming to the path of movement of the outer end of said lever. In the present construction this steadying-bar is made straight and placed obliquely to the truok-frame-and about at right angles to the cam-lever when the latter is about midway between the ends. of its throw or limits of movement, and the loop or recurved end of the lever F being made long enough to overlap the bar H and hold the lever when in such-position, the lever willbe held and steadied throughout its entire movement by said bar H, an arrangement which simplifies and lessens the cost of construction.

To the heel end of the cam-lever, or to the outer side of the cam portion thereof, is secured a curved spring, f, made by preference in ogee or S shape in plan view, and of two or more leaves or parts as giving the desired elasticity combined with the requisite strength. The free end of this spring extends around on the outer side of the heel end of the dog D on the draw-bar C, out of contact therewith, when the draw-bar is thrust inward, but in position to be acted upon by said dog when the draw-bar is pulled outward in such manner as to vibrate the cam-lever into the position it occupies when caught and held by the gravity stop or pin. The camlever has a suitable socket formed in it at f for the reception of the end of the spring, which is rigidly secured therein by a bolt or other suitable means.

The arrangement of the dog on the draw head relative to the spring and to the cam-le- IIO ver for acting on said dog is such as to allow it a little free play between the spring and cam, such as will permit a slight endwise vibration of the draw-bar without causing the dog to act upon or to be acted upon by the cam-lever; but a continued movement of the draw-bar will cause it, when drawn outward, to move the cam-lever into position to be set for acting on the dog,by acting thereon through the spring, as explained, and when thrust inward, either to thrust the cam out of its path and so to pass by it without operating the "brake-lever or, when the cam-lever is locked e, as shown.

and held by the gravity-stop, to act upon the brake-lever E and thence through suitable connections on the brakes, as described in the patent referred to.

For convenience in taking up slack in-or effecting the proper adjustment of the connections between the brakes and the brakelever E, a clevis,e,is employed to connect the end of said lever with the brake rod or chain The arms of the clevis are fiattened or expanded in width and provided with a series of perforations, 6 through any of which ,and a perforation in the brake-lever, a pin or through-bolt passes for securing it to the 1ever,thebrake rod or chain being con= nected with the clevis by means of a link or eye engaging its loop portion, as shown. By removing the pin or bolt from one perforation of the arms of the clevis and inserting it through another and through the brake-lever after proper adj ustment relative to the brakes,

such adjustment can be readily and easily effected,and any unnecessary slack in thebrake rod or chain taken up.

Aside from the features of improvement i specifically pointed out, the brake setting and actuating mechanisms will be substantially the same as those described in the patent re ferred to.

Having now described my invention, I claim as new in an automatic brake mechanism- 1. The combination, with the cam -lever and gravity stop or pin for setting and releasing the brake-actuating mechanism, of the single lever interposed between said stop and the two semi-annularly armed levers operating to raise said stop or pin, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the cam-lever for setting and releasing the brake-actuating mechanism, of the gravity stop or pin provided with the tapering or beveled end for facilitating its withdrawal and the release of the cam-lever, substantially as described.

3. The gravity stop or pin for setting and releasing the cam-lever provided with the slot for and in combination with the arm of the lifting-lever engaging said pin, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in an automatic brake setting and releasing mechanism, of the lever for setting or relieving the brake-actuating mechanism, the gravity stop or pin for looking and releasing said lever, and the springcushion for relieving the fall of said stop or pin, substantially as described.

5. The weighted levers on the axle, in combination with the levers having semi-annular arms surrounding the axle and provided with the curved or drooping arms through which connection is made with the gravity-stop lever, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the cam-lever, of the spring arranged to be operated upon by the dog on the draw-bar for movingthe camlever into position to be caught and held by the gravity-stop, substantially as described.

7. The pivoted dog on the draw-bar for actuating the brake mechanism, in combination with and interposed between the cam and spring on the cam-lever for setting and releasing said dog, substantially as described.

8. Thelaterally-vibrating cam-lever for setting and releasing the brake-actuating mechanism and the weighted levers on the axle for automatically raising and releasing the gravity-stop engaging said cam-lever,both located on the same side of the draw-bar, in combination with the levers for connecting said weighted levers with the gravity-stop located on the opposite side of said draw-bar, substantially as described.

9. The cam for setting and releasing the brakeactuating mechanism provided with the obliquely-arranged lever-arm, in combination with the obliquely-arranged steadying- CHARLES v. ROTE.

Witnesses:

WILLARD HUNTER, J. E. BROWN.

ICC 

